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EzyDog chest plate harness review – The best staffy harness?
The EzyDog chest plate harness is comfortable, lightweight and strong. Easy to put on, it gives you more control of your dog on walks whilst looking stylish.
Best for dogs who don’t like head through harnesses
Pros
Step in design good for pups who don't like head through harnesses
Simple design easy to understand
EVA chest plate is comfortable
Free easy to use dog car restraint (Worth £7.50)
Reflective stitching adds an extra layer of safety at night
Dries quickly after rain
Cons
Frays if your dog likes to rub up against walls
Twists to the side sometimes
No extra storage for poo bags for contact info like some other harnesses
Not crash tested
What lead to us looking to buy a dog harness in the first place?
What has lead to us writing our EzyDog chest plate harness review I hear you ask?!?!
Mabel our staffy cross has grown incredible strong over the last 6 months. She went from being a tiny pup to a strong muscular teenager. To the point where she was constantly pulling on walks as she has been constrained by my slow plodding pace.
Therefore, in an effort to meet another dog, lick a person or smell a particularly odourous piece of grass, she was pulling quite aggressively on the collar around her neck. This is backed up by research, showing that dogs pull more on neck collars than head collars. With neck collars causing damage to a dogs soft tissue.
“Mabel made these horrendous gasping sounds which sounded like she was being strangled when wearing just a collar and then pulling.”
Dog Dad
Should your dog wear a harness?
Before getting started on this EzyDog chest plate harness review. Let’s first list the general pros and cons of dog harnesses.
Pros of dog harnesses
We wanted to get a harness for the following reasons :-
- If (when) she did pull, the force would be distributed across her entire body/chest and not just her neck
- More control over her for safety or others safety when needed such on a beach, at a reservoir or at a dog friendly zoo
- Wearing a harness does not cause any stress to a dog similar to a collar
- Mabel is a rescue from The Dogs Trust and they recommend to get a harness
- Wanted to teach her that wearing a piece of clothing could be comfortable
- Would be useful if I wanted to run with Mabel,
- Dog Mom has a family dog which is a large chocolate labrador. They regretted not training him to wear a harness due to his strength
Cons of dog harnesses
- Can be hard to train your dog to put them on, especially for head in harnesses. Step in harnesses seem to be slightly easier. Some dogs have an aversion to wearing anything.
- Can be uncomfortable for the dog if fitted incorrectly and made too tight.
- May cause tangles and matting if used on long hair dogs which can lead to irriation.
EzyDog chest plate harness features
- Padded EVA foam chest plate which molds to dog for comfort
- Welded stainless steel D ring
- Easy quick release buckle closure
- Light reflective stitching
- Fast drying material
EzyDog chest plate harness size guide
It is recommended to measure the girth of the dog directly behind the front legs. With the neck typically falling into place after girth is correctly measured.
If the girth is between sizes, size up rather than down and you can adjust the straps to make it tighter. If fitted correctly, it should be snug but not too tight.
You should be able to get 2 fingers in between the harness and your dog.
| Size | Weight (KG) | Neck (CM) | Girth (CM) | Typical dog breed |
| XXS | 1-3KG | 23-37 CM | 24-38 CM | Chihuahua |
| XS | 3-5KG | 27-46 CM | 29-48 CM | Yorkshire terrier |
| S | 5-10KG | 34-56 CM | 37-60 CM | Maltese terrier |
| M | 10-19KG | 41-68 CM | 45-73 CM | Cocker spaniel |
| L | 19-35KG | 46-78 CM | 49-84 CM | Border collie |
| XL | 35+KG | 52-90 CM | 56-97 CM | German sheperd |
| XXL | 35+KG | 74-131CM | 77-134 CM | Rottweiler |
How to put on EzyDog harness?
Ezydog have their own tutorial on how to put the chest plate harness on which shows the basics. However, this only works if your dog is happy to sit still and just let you put it on them.
How to put on a Ezydog harness on step by step for dogs who are anxious
As Mabel hadn’t previously worn a harness, we found this initially quite difficult. For about a month, Dog Mom had to put the harness on, as the last time I tried I seemed to scar her emotionally.
We eventually settled on the process below which we are still using. Mabel now thinks it is a game.
- Grab a handful of treats and the harness
- Go into living room, close the door and scatter the treats in the corner
- Place harness to the right hand side of the treats
- Pick Mabel up and place behind the treats
- Stay behind Mabel whilst holding her and pull harness towards Mabel
- Place Mabel’s right leg into the step in section whilst she is eating treats
- Pull chest plate into place and secure the neck front clip
- Pull up the back straps and secure the girth/shoulder back clips
- Use dog praise word (yes) and pet affectionately
- Feed Mabel her breakfast/tea and take for walk
Pros
Step in design good for pups who don’t like head through harnesses
We haven’t tried Mabel with any other harnesses. However, as quite an anxious pup in general who generally does not harnesses, I imagine it would be quite a struggle to get her to put her head through a harness.
Simple design easy to understand for dog owners
As someone who hasn’t owned a dog before, simple is always better. Put the harness on the floor, put dogs right leg in harness, lift up chest plate and then secure clips. Sorted.
EVA chest plate is comfortable
Once Mabel has the harness on, she is her normal self. She has complete freedom of movement to run, chase, roll and jump. As an energetic staffy potentially crossed with a whippet and prone to zoomies, we have not seen any movement limitations whilst wearing the EzyDog chest plate harness.
Free easy to use dog car restraint keeps your pup in place in the car
Similar to the harness, it comes with a car restraint which is easy to use. You simple clip it onto the dog collar and then pull the seat belt through it to secure your pup.
I would suggest that you use treats to initially get your dog to sit. Then clip the restraint on the collar and pull through the seat belt.
Reflective stitching adds an extra layer of safety at night
I found this quite useful in winter, when it is always dark. Especially as Mabel is a dark brown colour and walking her through the park in between street lights was becoming more difficult.
Dries quickly after rain
Due to the British weather, we have a lot of experience walking in the rain. The harness typically dries within 30-60 minutes after being wet. It has also been in the washing machine a few times after Mabel rolled in fox poo. However, this may have contributed to the harness fraying.
Cons
Frays if your dog likes to rub up against walls
Mabel often spends a lot of time trying to scratch her itches. To the point where we actually got her some Nutri-paw supplements for anti itching, calming her down and probiotics for her stomach.
To try and solve this problem, she will sometimes rub up against walls with her harness on. The harness is still usable, however it has frayed a little in the areas she has brushed up against the wall on. This could also be down to us washing the harness in the washing machine a few times when Mabel has rolled in fox poo.
Twists to the side sometimes
Whilst walking Mabel, the harness sometimes twists to the right hand side. It does not happen often, however simply pulling it back into the center solves this.
No extra storage for poo bags or contact info like some other harnesses
Some harnesses include extra room for pockets for spare poo bags or contact info. I don’t tend to leave the house without 3 poo bags and Mabel has a collar with her contact info on.
So this isn’t a dealbreaker for us. However, some people may benefit from this and prefer another harness.
Would Mabel recommend the EzyDog chest plate harness?
Yes. This is her 3rd EzyDog chest plate harness. When she was younger, she had a small in purple with matching lead. As she has grown bigger she now has a black medium. We are considering getting her another one in Medium, due to the fraying issue mentioned above. We have now bought our 3rd EzyDog chest plate harness, as the 2nd one frayed.
We recently took Mabel to Hornsea and Hardcastle Crags, if we were going out for any walk we put her EzyDog chest plate harness on. The only time we didn’t put it on was when she just needed to go out to the toilet.
What do you think about the EzyDog chest plat harness?
We hope you enjoyed our EzyDog chest plate harness review. Let us know what you think about the harness and if you would recommend it as well. Or if there are other harnesses you think are better.
EzyDog chest plate harness review FAQs
What is a chest plate harness?
A chest plate harness distributes the load evenly across the entire chest of the dog. In comparison to a collar which distributes the load across only the neck and throat area. By using a chest plate harness, you are less likely to see injuries/sprains to your dog due to the more even distribution of force across a larger surface area.
Are chest plate harnesses good for dogs?
The research into this is inconclusive. Mabel seems comfortable, happy and at ease whilst wearing it. However, further research is required to determine impact based on harness design. Generally, they are a safe and secure harness. They should still give full range of movement even when on lead if they have been fitted correctly.
Do chest harnesses stop dogs from pulling?
No. However, they can help you feel more secure when they do pull as you have more control. We have noticed this when Mabel meets new people or animals like at Filey Bird Garden and Animal Park. They also reduce the risk of injuries/sprain as they distribute force over a larger surface area, rather than just the neck like a typical collar.
What shape harness is best for a dog?
Y shape or chest plate harnesses are typically described as the best for dogs. Assuming they are fitted correctly, allowing 2 fingers to fit between the chest plate harness and the dog. Along with the chest plate and front straps do not limit movement.
Is the EzyDog harness good?
Yes, we would describe it as good. Giving it a 7.9 out of 10 product rating. It is also the harness that we use for our staffy cross Mabel and are about to buy our 3rd EzyDog Chest plate harness.
How should an EzyDog harness fit?
When fitted correctly, it should be snug on the dog but not too tight. You should be able to fit 2 fingers between your dog and the harness staps. If you can’t put 2 fingers in, loosen the straps on the harness slightly.
Can you wash the EzyDog chest plate harness in the washing machine?
We have washed the harness in the washing machine 2-3 times. This may have contributed to the fraying we have experienced. So, to avoid fraying we would suggest you wash by hand.
How do I use the EzyDog seat belt restraint?
Simply clip the seat belt restraint to the collar of your dog, get your dog to sit down and then pull the seat belt through the restraint into the seat belt buckle. Check your dog is secure and off you go!
EzyDog chest plate harness review research sources in order of appearance
The behavioral effects of walking on a collar and harness in domestic dogs – 2016
Other EzyDog product reviews
We have also reviewed the EzyDog zero shock lead.
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